Sit-down dinners are often the choice for wedding reception food for a formal evening reception; a buffet is also an option. For an afternoon reception, hor d'oeurves and finger foods are an elegant alternative. If your wedding is earlier in the day, you could have a brunch reception.

Calculate your food and liquor budget before meeting with potential caterers, and have a feel for the atmosphere and menu options you are planning. Make sure that your reception meets their minimums, if they have them, and know what is included in the final price (tax and gratuity, for example), Also find out about overtime charges in case your reception should run over budgeted time.

Your wedding cake is another big choice; you may work with a bakery or with your reception facility to explore your options. If you select a cake from an off-site baker, you may be charged a cake cutting fee by the caterer; if on-site catering is supplying your cake, they should not charge this fee.

Wedding Theme food ideas:

• Lobster bake or clambake for beach wedding or Maine wedding
  
  
• Western theme: barbecue
  
  
• Chinese wedding: Traditionally eight courses, including such menu items as shark’s fin soup, roast suckling pig, Peking duck, lobster, squab, and fish.
  
  
• Hawaiian luau: Fresh fruits and a roast pig
  
  
• Mardi Gras: red beans and rice and jambalaya